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The shark was identified as a female blue shark by New England Aquarium Research Senior Scientist John Mandelman.

“If there are no obvious signs of tissue trauma that might imply an attack by another shark (which cannot be confirmed from the photo alone), this animal most likely died after being caught and released by a fisherman, or via infection/pathology/natural causes,” Mandelman said in a statement to WBZ-TV.

“This looks to be a juvenile.” Mandelman said. “Female blue sharks can grow quite large, in excess of 10 feet in total length.”

Mandelman was not concerned about a threat posed by the shark.

“Blue sharks are incredibly common in our coastal and offshore waters (one of the few most common shark species in New England waters), and dead specimens often wash up on shore,” Mandelman said. “The occurrence of this specimen certainly doesn’t signal a possible threat to human safety.”

The Aquarium was not involved in this rescue, but was asked to identify the species based on photos from Hingham Police Department.